Known portable steam ironing presses, as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,152, employ a frame having a stationary lower section and a horizontally elongated upper section vertically pivotable about the lower section. A lower horizontally elongated member is secured to the lower section. An upper horizontally elongated member is secured to the upper section. The upper section can be manually pivoted upward to a position at which the upper member is spaced above the lower member and can be manually pivoted downward to bring the upper member into engagement with the lower member. An article to be pressed is disposed between the members while they are separated and is squeezed therebetween when the members engage. The article is pressed using heat and steam supplied with appropriate timing via the upper member.
In such presses, the two members extend horizontally outward at right angles to the direction of elongation of the upper section. However, while this arrangement is required during normal use, it is awkward and expensive to ship these presses because of the outward extension of the members. It is also awkward and sometimes difficult to move these presses from place to place.
The present invention is directed toward steam ironing presses of this known type in which this shipping problem is overcome. To this end, these presses are constructed in such manner that the members can be manually rotated and locked into a position for shipping at which the members are parallel to and aligned with the direction of elongation of the upper section.
The presses can be shipped easily and less expensively when the members are rotated into this shipping position and, moreover, it is easier to move the presses from place to place when the members are in this position.
Once the presses are placed in a position for normal use, the members can be unlocked manually and then rotated and locked into a position for use at which the members extend horizontally at right angles to the frame. Once in the position for normal use, the presses can then be operated in conventional manner.